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Tradition and modernity are basic polarities in the administration of the state. While administrators should not limit themselves to past experience, they need to be fully aware of it and take it into account. The process of standardization seen today can only be successful if built on solid common ground. In the Age of the Enlightenment there were common permanent principles and changing values alike. Permanent principles include seeking the common good, respect for law, taking responsibility, the demand for efficiency, and what the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000) calls “the right to a good administration.” Among changing values are decentralization, transparency, participation, and finally, internationalization.